THE HEADTEACHER of a Malvern primary school spoke of his excitement after a new £4million expansion scheme was approved.
Somers Park Primary School is set to increase its numbers by 50 per cent after Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet backed a project which will see it become a three-form entry school.
The plans, which were considered at a meeting on Thursday (July 16), include the creation of a new building at the Malvern Vale housing estate which would house seven classrooms and a further 210 pupils.
Stuart Sewell, headteacher of Somers Park, said: “We are excited that this proposal has been passed by the committee.
“We are also excited at the prospect of the proposal with Worcestershire local authorities to build a one-form entry primary school on the Malvern Vale site.
“We are very motivated by the partnership and we will be working with the local authority to take it through the next phase of development.”
The move comes after council bosses already agreed to expand Callow End CE Primary School and Leigh and Bransford Primary School and had pledged to create a further 40 spaces in north Malvern.
Coun Paul Tuthill, county councillor for the area, called proposals for the school, which was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, an ‘elegant solution’ while Coun John Campion, cabinet member for children and families, said it was a ‘win-win’ situation.
“I am pleased this is the option we are taking and it has got support locally,” Coun Campion added.
“It is always difficult to make decisions in this area but I believe we have reached a win-win situation.”
Leader Coun Adrian Hardman also said he had not received ‘a single letter to say the decision was heading in the wrong direction’.
Work is expected to be completed by December 2017.
